


Jimbert Fluff-Fest

by Mi_chan



Series: Kashmir Verse [2]
Category: Led Zeppelin
Genre: All The Love, Birthday, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, Cute, Cuties, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Love, M/M, Presents, Sharing Body Heat, Short & Sweet, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, domestic jimbert, jimbert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-08 02:57:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15921406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mi_chan/pseuds/Mi_chan
Summary: A collection of little, fluffy Jimbert one shots.Ties in with my work Kashmir, but can definitely be read on its own!





	1. Sick

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so whenever I write, it usually turns really smutty really quickly. So I set myself a challenge to write some stories without any smut in them at all! Pure fluff! And here we are. I hope you enjoy them, if you do, please let me know! <3

Jimmy’s POV

Robert always made Jimmy do things he never did before. He made him *feel* things he never felt before. Jimmy wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

Robert was sick. He’d come down with a nasty case of the cold, and Jimmy felt the incredible need to look after him and do everything he could to make the blonde feel better. He never felt particularly maternal or domestic or something, his lifestyle as a rockstar, always touring, just didn’t leave any room for that, and he never felt like he needed to fuss over someone, but with Robert, it was different. 

He fluffed his pillows, he brought him more blankets, he made him chamomile tea. He even went to the pharmacy to get cough syrup and hankies. 

Just when he thought he couldn’t get any worse, he felt the urge to cook for Robert, as well. He almost laughed at himself, but he remembered how much a hot, homemade chicken soup helped every time he had a cold. So when Robert had finally fallen asleep, he went out to buy fresh ingredients. He also had to buy a cookbook as well because he had no idea how to make a chicken soup.

Later, he found himself in the kitchen, chopping all kinds of fresh vegetables while the chicken boiled in a large pot. Robert was still sleeping, so he had some time. He’d also bought some fresh strawberries for dessert. Robert needed all the vitamins he could get. 

About 2 hours later, the soup was done and the kitchen looked like something had exploded, but Jimmy was pleased. It was delicious. He went upstairs to the bedroom to see if Robert was awake yet. He slowly, carefully opened the door and indeed, the blonde was looking at him from under a pile of blankets and pillows, looking utterly miserable. 

“Hey love... how are you feeling?” Jimmy asked softly, entering the room and sitting on the bed next to Robert. 

“Awful.” The singer groaned, hoarse. “My head hurts. My throat hurts. My chest hurts. My head feels foggy.” He complained and groaned. 

“Poor baby...” Jimmy cooed and pulled him into his arms. “I’m gonna go and fetch you some water, some painkillers and cough syrup and then I’m gonna bring you some soup. I made some.” He said. 

“You made soup?” Robert asked between sniffles and smiled a little. “Is it even edible?” He teased and Jimmy pouted.

“Hey. It turned out delicious! It’s gonna make you feel better, I promise.” He said and let go of the other man. He returned quickly with a glass of water and a painkiller. Robert accepted gratefully, quickly swallowing the little pill. Jimmy gave him some cough syrup as well, then left again to bring the soup. 

Jimmy put the tray with the bowls down on the bedside table so he could help Robert sit up. He fluffed the pillows and made sure the blonde was comfortable before passing him one of the bowls. 

“There you go... be careful, it’s very hot.” He sat opposite him on the bed, cross-legged, and reached for his own bowl. 

“Thank you... I’d say it smells good, but... I can’t smell anything.” Robert pouted and sniffled, but smiled at his boyfriend nonetheless. “This is so sweet, thank you so much. For everything, you know. I know I’m a giant pain in the ass right now, but I do appreciate you taking care of me.” Robert said, waiting for the soup to cool a bit. 

“It’s alright... I actually like doing it. I mean, I hate that you’re sick, don’t get me wrong... but I don’t mind taking care of you.” Jimmy smiled. 

“Well, I’m grateful.” Robert said and started eating. “Hmm, you were right, it is delicious. How did you learn to cook so quickly??” He asked and Jimmy shrugged.

“I bought a book and followed the instructions. It’s not actually all that hard. But the kitchen looks like a battlefield or something.” He admitted sheepishly. Robert laughed. 

“I can imagine...” He said, amused. 

By the time they finished their soup, Robert was feeling visibly better, so he joined Jimmy downstairs to watch some TV, wrapped in a blanket and snuggled against his chest. He fell asleep before the movie was over.


	2. Swimming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy in Hawaii
> 
> Jimmy can't swim. Robert teaches him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here you are, more fluff, with a tiny bit of angst maybe, but it's fine! :) Aren't they just so adorable? 
> 
> This chapter was obviously inspired by those lovely pictures of Jimmy in his tiny speedos and his cute ponytail, sitting on a log in the ocean. He looked so adorable. And as far as I know, Jimmy actually didn't know how to swim, as an adult, until someone taught him (it wasn't Robert, though, unfortunately, I believe it was a photographer).

Robert’s POV

Somehow, their travels had taken them to a lovely beach in Hawaii. They were supposed to perform there the next day and receive a golden record or something, Robert didn’t remember. Peter would remind him tomorrow, he didn’t have to worry about it right now. 

He was sitting underneath a palm tree on a towel, his feet in the warm, fine sand, a cocktail in his hand. Jimmy was right next to him and they were gazing out at the vastness of the ocean. If they were sitting a little too close, nobody mentioned it. He took a sip of his cocktail and watched Jimmy do the same.

“Hey. Wanna go for a swim?” He asked. The ocean was calm, there were barely any waves at all and Robert knew the water was lovely and quite warm as he’d already been in there earlier. Jimmy had stayed on the beach so far. Jimmy fidgeted with the little umbrella in his cocktail and looked down.

“No, it’s ok, you go ahead... I’ll stay here.” He said. Robert pouted. 

“Oh come on, come with me!” He pleaded. “Please?”

“I... I’m too lazy, Robert, it’s nice here... go ahead without me.” He said. The blonde noticed that he looked very uncomfortable. Robert cocked his head and regarded his boyfriend for a moment, watching him nervously fiddle with the straw now. 

“You can’t swim.” He said when realization dawned on him. Jimmy looked down, tracing patterns into the sand next to their towel. “Awww, baby, it’s ok, I’ll show you! Come with me, I’ll keep you safe.” 

“I... Robert, I can’t. I’m scared.” Jimmy admitted in a small voice. He grabbed a fistful of sand and slowly released it, forming a little mound. 

“Jimmy, you can’t come to Hawaii and not swim in the ocean!” Robert protested. “It’s the best thing in the world, I promise! Look how calm the ocean is, nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. I’m a good swimmer and I’ll be right there. I’ll teach you! You don’t even have to go in far if you don’t want to.”

Jimmy didn’t answer, he stayed silent and played with the sand some more, slowly sipping his cocktail. A few minutes later, he sighed.

“Alright. But... please don’t make fun of me if I panic, ok?” He said in a small voice. Robert melted. 

“Of course not. A lot of people are scared of the ocean, I would never make fun of you for that.” He said solemnly. “If you don’t like it at all, we can just take a walk along the beach, at the shore, only our feet in the water. Alright?” 

Jimmy nodded and got up. Robert watched him for a moment, smiling. He was only wearing tiny, striped speedos and his hair was tied back into a ponytail. He’d never seen Jimmy with his hair tied back before and he liked it. He took Jimmy’s hand when the other offered it and let him pull him up as well. 

They slowly made their way to the water and Robert waded right in, letting himself fall into the water when it was deep enough. He looked back to see Jimmy standing at the shore with only his feet in the water, barely up to his calves, hesitating. 

“Come here, love, it’s ok... it’s not that deep.” He said, making a point by standing up again. The water reached chest at this point. Jimmy just shook his head, frozen to his spot and staring at his feet. 

Robert sighed and looked over to the little beach bar where the others were sitting. Bonzo, Jonesy, Richard and Peter were drinking, talking and laughing, none of them paid any attention to them, so he slowly made his way back to the edge of the water and took both of Jimmy’s hands in his own, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of it soothingly. 

“I almost drowned.” Jimmy whispered, then, and Robert’s jaw dropped.

“What?” He asked stupidly, his hold on Jimmy’s hands tightening. 

“When I was a kid... I almost drowned. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know which way was up or down. I was so scared.” His boyfriend whispered. Robert felt his hands tremble.

“Oh God, Jimmy... why didn’t you tell me? I thought... I thought you were just afraid because you don’t know how to swim.” He gasped. He stepped even closer and slowly wrapped his arms around the other man. He didn’t care if the others saw them, at this point. He felt awful for making Jimmy get in the water, although of course he had no idea how deep Jimmy’s fear ran and what had caused it until just now. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok... you didn’t know.” Jimmy said, leaning into him and wrapping his arms around him in turn. He nuzzled his neck and sighed, relaxing a little. They stayed like that for a moment.

“Well... let’s go back, then.” Robert suggested, but Jimmy shook his head.

“No. It’s alright. Now that I’m here... I want to try.” He said and pulled back a little to look at the other man. He briefly glanced across his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching them, then pecked Robert’s lips quickly. “I trust you.” 

“Oh Jimmy...” Robert sighed and smiled. “Alright, just... just hold on to me if you get scared. I promise I’ll keep you safe. We’ll only go as deep as you feel comfortable with. Ok?” He asked and Jimmy nodded. Robert took one of his hands again and slowly led him further into the water. The wet sand underneath their feet was soft and nice, the water was pleasantly warm. 

When the water reached their hips, Jimmy stopped, tugging at Robert’s hand slightly. The blonde stopped and gave his boyfriend a moment to get used to it. 

“Oh hey... look! Fish!” He pointed out when he noticed a little swarm of beautiful, tropical fish close to them. The water was so clear and nice, they were easily spotted. He knew Jimmy liked exotic fish, he even had a fish tank with some at some point, so maybe this would distract him a little. 

“They’re beautiful.” Jimmy said, watching the little yellow fish swim around them, then swim off in another direction. 

A gentle little wave caused the water to rise a bit for a moment, reaching up to their belly buttons (or slightly above, in Jimmy’s case, as he was ever so slightly shorter than Robert) and the guitarist made a startled little sound, moving closer to the singer. Robert chuckled and wrapped an arm around Jimmy’s waist. 

“It’s alright, I’m right here.” He said and pulled him a little closer. “OK?” Jimmy nodded.

“Yes... ok. A little deeper?” He suggested and they moved in a little further. By the time the water reached their chests, Jimmy was clinging to him, clutching at his shoulders, but he didn’t protest. “This is... nice?” He said, his voice hitching slightly. 

“It is, isn’t it?” Robert agreed, smiling. He distracted Jimmy with another little peck to his lips and moved them a little further in. The tips of his toes barely reached the sand underneath them now and he knew Jimmy’s definitely didn’t, anymore, but the brunette hadn’t noticed yet. His eyes widened when he did and he tightened his hold on Robert’s shoulders, pressing his entire body close to the singer’s. 

“It’s ok, I’ve got you.” He said and kicked himself off of the ground, delving in deeper. “Just hold on to me.” He said as Jimmy yelped. He slowly moved his legs and arms to keep them afloat as Jimmy clung to him for dear life. They were far enough away from the others now and only their heads were sticking out of the water anyway, so he leaned in to kiss Jimmy gently. He felt his boyfriend gradually relax against him. 

“It is... really nice.” Jimmy admitted after a moment. He’d started to move his legs a little, too, just like Robert was doing, to keep himself up. He probably hadn’t even noticed doing that, it just came naturally. He stopped clinging to Robert so hard, moving back a little, but kept his arms around the other’s shoulders, still. 

“Wanna try on your own?” Robert asked and Jimmy bit his lip. “I’ll stay close to you, promise. Just move your hands, like this.” He said, showing him how to keep himself afloat on his own. 

Jimmy slowly removed his arms from around the blonde’s shoulders and took a deep breath before he let go completely. He almost went under at first and flailed a little, but he quickly got the hang of it and kept himself steady. 

“I... I’m swimming!” He gasped, a big smile spreading on his beautiful face. Robert laughed happily.

“Yes, you are! See, it’s not difficult at all!” He said as he watched Jimmy. The movements seemed to come quite naturally to him. “See, once you got the hang of it, you really can’t go under anymore, you just kinda float.” He explained. “You can just lie on your back, if you want.” He said and did just that, floating on his back next to Jimmy, moving his feet to swim around him. 

The guitarist tried it, too, slowly dipping back in the water. Another smile broke out on his face. “Oh, I like this... this is actually... relaxing.” He said, closing his eyes. Robert moved back to where he could stand on the ground again and gently put his hands under Jimmy’s back, one close to his shoulders, the other on the small of his back, holding him gently and slowly pulling him through the water. Jimmy laughed.

“Thank you, Robert.” He said softly after a while, opening his eyes to look at his boyfriend. “I wouldn’t have done this without you, ever.” He said, grateful. Robert just grinned at him happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it? Let me know please! I live off of kudos and comments. :P


	3. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Jimmy spend their first winter together in the boathouse. The heating breaks, leaving them to figure out how to stay warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a little early for christmas-y stuff, but I couldn't help it, it popped into my mind and it was adorable, so I had to write it! Enjoy!

WInter came swiftly upon the pretty boathouse the couple spent their free time in. It was beautiful, magical really, the snow and ice turning the whole scenery into a winter wonderland, even the river froze partially, glittering beautifully in the late afternoon sun. It was only a few weeks before christmas and Robert had insisted on putting up some decorations already, stars, little angels, some warm lights, even a gingerbread house he bought at a local bakery.

Jimmy didn’t want to, at first, he wasn’t the biggest fan of cheesy christmas decorations, but he’d given in when he saw the look on his boyfriend’s face. He didn’t regret giving in as he watched the blonde bounce around the house, putting up pretty little glittery things all over the place, a happy smile on his face, humming christmas songs. Jimmy shook his head at himself, he barely recognized himself, he was so in love. 

He laughed as Robert sauntered over to him with a twig of mistletoe in his hand. He held it over their heads and grinned at the brunette expectantly. 

“This is not how this works, baby... you’re supposed to find yourself under the mistletoe with someone by chance, not like this.” Jimmy argued, amused. Robert shrugged.

“I’ve always tried to help things along a bit, you know...” He grinned and leaned in to kiss Jimmy. The guitarist let him and wrapped his arms around his lover’s shoulders, kissing him back gently. 

“It’s nice to see you so happy. You’re adorable.” Jimmy said when they broke apart, looking up into those twinkling blue eyes. 

“How could I not be happy? This is perfect.” Robert answered and pecked Jimmy’s lips once more. He then frowned. “You’re shivering.” He said, holding the smaller man closer. 

“Hmhm... aren’t you cold? It’s cold.” Jimmy complained, snuggling against the taller man’s chest. 

“I didn’t notice, I was busy.” Robert admitted, dropped the twig he was holding and started rubbing Jimmy’s back and arms to warm him up. 

“I think something’s wrong with the heating... let me go check.” Jimmy sighed after a while, feeling a little warmer already. “You go ahead with your decorations... I’ll be right back.” He added, then left to go downstairs into the cellar to check the heating. He sighed in annoyance as he noticed that indeed, it wasn’t working and he couldn’t get it to start back up either. He went back upstairs, finding Robert standing on one of the kitchen chairs to put some lights around the big window in the living room. 

“It’s broken... I’ll call the firm that usually takes care of it, but... it’s late, they might not make it here today.” He said and grabbed his coat, putting it on. 

“Fuck... sounds like we might be in for a cold night, huh?” Robert sighed. Jimmy huffed and went to make the call. When he came back, his expression was even darker than before. “You were right, then? They’ll fix it tomorrow?” Robert guessed. Jimmy nodded. 

“This sucks. I hate being cold.” He pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest. 

“Awww, poor baby... I’ll keep you warm, I promise.” Robert said, stepping down from the chair and coming to hug his pouting boyfriend. He half expected to be pushed away, Jimmy’s mood being so sour, but the guitarist melted against him. “We can make a fire in the fireplace and snuggle in front of it with all the blankets and pillows we can find... it’ll be nice...” He whispered. 

“Fucking hippy...” Jimmy grinned against the crook of Robert’s neck and nuzzled him. “What would I do without you and your endless optimism? You manage to turn everything into something nice and romantic.” 

“Well, that’s what I’m here for. Can’t let you succumb to your darkness, now, can I?” Robert quipped, making the brunette laugh again. 

“No... I definitely need your light in my life.” Jimmy answered, for once allowing himself to be cheesy as well, playing it off as a joke. Robert snorted.

“Fuck, this is almost making *me* feel sick and I’m the romantic!” He laughed. “Now, I’ll go start the fire and gather some blankets, you can get us a nice bottle of wine to keep us warm and your favorite record, alright?” He suggested and Jimmy nodded, going to do exactly that. 

He found a nice bottle of an old red wine and two glasses, then went back to grab a bottle of Jack Daniel’s too, just in case they needed even more warmth from within. The walls of the boathouse were notoriously thin and it was freezing outside. 

When he entered the library with the fireplace, the fire was already going and Robert was fluffing some large pillows in front of it. He out down the bottles and glasses and went to pick some music. 

“Whiskey, huh? Planning to get me drunk?” Robert teased as he spotted the additional bottle. 

“Do I need to get you drunk?” Jimmy asked with a suggestive smile and the blonde laughed. Jimmy picked a record and put it on, then turned around to see Robert shedding several layers of clothing, the cardigan he’d been wearing as well as his pants, leaving him in a thin tank top and underpants. He raised an eyebrow.

“What? Take yours off, too, we need to share body warmth.” The blonde argued, shivering ever so slightly. Jimmy grimaced, he really didn’t want to take off anything, but he knew he’d be warmer in the long run if he did. On the other hand, he feared with the wine and them being half naked, this would soon turn into something completely different and he didn’t fancy freezing his balls off. Robert laughed at the face he made.

“Come on, I promise it’ll be warmer, skin on skin.” He said, which didn’t help the direction Jimmy’s thoughts were going in, but he complied anyway, taking off his coat and his cardigan, then his jumper, leaving him only in the thin t-shirt he had underneath. He then chucked off his thick, warm corduroy trousers and quickly padded over to where his boyfriend had already started to get comfortable underneath a thick layer of blankets. 

“I’m blaming you if we both catch a cold.” He glared at the blonde, teeth clattering, and climbed under the blankets as well. Robert wrapped them around them both and pulled the shivering brunette into his arms. 

“You don’t catch a cold from being cold, it’s a virus.” Robert said with a cheeky grin, knowing he was being a smartass and pecked Jimmy’s cheek, then yelped and shivered as Jimmy’s icicle fingers brushed against his bare thighs as he glared at him. 

“Sorry.” Jimmy said and Robert could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t sorry at all, he’d done that on purpose. They both burst into giggles and Robert pulled the skinnier man even closer, tangling his naked legs with the other’s and holding him tight. “You were right... this is warmer. It’s nice.” Jimmy sighed after a while, resting his head on the other man’s shoulder. 

“It’s perfect.” Robert agreed, gently caressing Jimmy’s back. After a while, he freed his arms from their pillow and blanket fort to pour each of them some wine. He shrugged and just filled the glasses to the brim, not wanting to have to move again to refill them later, and Jimmy laughed, accepting his glass from Robert. 

“Who’s trying to get whom drunk, now?” He asked with a grin, looking at the inappropriately full glass, then took a sip of wine. 

“Hm, I could ask you the same, do I need to get you drunk?” Robert grinned back. 

“You know you don’t.” Jimmy sighed and snuggled against him again, careful not to spill any wine. “Robert? I love you.” He said softly, after a while. He still didn’t say those three words very often, but when he did, he made sure Robert felt that it was true. The singer smiled and nuzzled his hair. 

“And I love you.” He whispered in turn, putting down his glass to wrap his arms around the brunette again. 

Jimmy smiled and closed his eyes, focusing on the soft music that was playing, the cracking of the fireplace and how he felt Robert’s chest rise and fall with his breathing. He was warm, comfortable, and soon felt the slight buzz from the wine. Life was good.


	4. Chubby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert thinks he got chubby and Jimmy won't like him anymore. Jimmy convinces him that he will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is almost just a drabble, but I thought it was cute :) 
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm not fat shaming! Robert is just being silly, of course Jimmy would love him no matter what.
> 
> Everybody's beautiful and deserves to be loved, no matter what weight. <3

Jimmy stopped in the doorway of their bedroom as he saw his boyfriend in front of the mirror. He was shirtless, only wearing his tight jeans, and he was poking and prodding at his belly. Jimmy raised an eyebrow and watched him for a bit as he turned in front of the mirror to see himself from every angle, poking at his hips, looking displeased.

“You’re not fat.” He said softly after a while and the other man jumped. Robert turned around to look at Jimmy, pouting.

“I totally am. I gained so much weight.” He complained, pulling at the skin on his belly. Jimmy shook his head, coming closer to wrap his arms around his lover. 

“You did not. Maybe a few pounds.” Jimmy said. “Very few.” He added quickly when he saw Robert’s expression. “You’re as gorgeous as ever.” 

“I barely managed to button my jeans. I’m going on a diet.” Robert announced and pouted again. 

“These jeans have always been incredibly tight...” Jimmy tried to soothe the blonde. The thought of Robert going on a diet didn’t sit particularly well with him, he didn’t want him to torture himself and he didn’t want to deal with the sour moods that would inevitably come with it.

“Not like this...” Robert sighed and poked his belly again, frowning at it. He wasn’t entirely wrong, he had gained a tiny bit of weight, but Jimmy thought it was cute. He actually liked it. 

“You’re not gonna like me anymore...” The singer said, distressed, and Jimmy’s eyes widened. So that’s what this was about. He gently covered Robert’s hand with his own, making him stop the silly prodding and poking.

“Robert, listen to me. I love you.” He said, caressing the blonde’s belly gently. “I will always love you, even if you turn into Peter fucking Grant.” He said solemnly and Robert stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“You did not just say that!” He said, shaking his head. “I really can’t picture you with me if I were THAT size!” 

“Peter’s wife loves him.” Jimmy shrugged. “It just doesn’t matter, you know? I didn’t fall in love with you because of your body, Robert. I really didn’t, even though sometimes it might seem like it. I love you because you’re witty, cheeky and smart, because you make me laugh, because you’re a silly, romantic hippy, I love you because you inspire me to write the most awesome music and because with you, I can just be myself and because you accept me for who I am.” Jimmy said, watching his boyfriend’s blue eyes soften as he listened to him. 

Robert wrapped his arms around the brunette, pulling him into a tight hug and sighed. 

“I love you, too...” he whispered, holding the other man tight. “Thank you. I really needed to hear that.” He admitted, smiling to himself a little. 

“I didn’t say it just because you needed to hear it. I meant every word, and you know I’m not good with words.” Jimmy said with a little smile of his own. 

“I know... that just makes it even more special.” Robert said and pecked Jimmy’s lips.


	5. Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert goes to London to find the perfect birthday present for Jimmy. He makes two new friends and finds the perfect gifts as well, making Jimmy very happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so this is a little more than a drabble, this time! Lots of cuteness, lots of fluff, please enjoy! :)

Robert huffed and sighed. He had been wracking his brains for the past few hours, trying to come up with a good birthday present for Jimmy. Christmas had been difficult enough, but he found a few (very old, very sinister looking) books that he hadn’t seen in Jimmy’s library and a nice, short black jacket with floral embroidery on it that he thought would look good on the guitarist, on stage. 

But of course Jimmy’s birthday had to be in January, so he had to think of something to give him for that, as well. What do you give someone who has all the money in the world to buy himself whatever he wants? Of course, money wasn’t a problem for Robert either, at this point, but he felt that he needed to come up with something... special. Something... meaningful. 

‘Maybe jewellery?’ Robert thought to himself. ‘Something he can wear, something that reminds him of me every time he looks at it...’

He knew Jimmy liked rings and bracelets, he always wore that beautiful silver bracelet with the big turquoise stone on his right wrist as well as several rings. He’d definitely appreciate that. 

He sighed again and made himself get up from where he was sitting, hunched over. He went to put on his usual ‘disguise’, hiding his unruly blonde curls under an old, ugly baseball cap and putting on some sunglasses, despite the fact that it was December. He didn’t mind the strange looks he got, it was better than being swarmed by screaming fans, either way.

He put on his thick, woolen coat and a black scarf, grabbed his wallet and his car keys and drove off. 

The drive to London was long, but he figured he’d go straight to the capital rather than trying to find something special for his boyfriend in any of the smaller cities closer to Pangbourne. He glared at the radio when they played a butchered, shortened version of Whole Lotta Love and shook his head, switching it off. By the time he got to London, he was bored out of his mind and sighed with relief when he parked his car.

He got out of the car and closed the door, looking around. He hadn’t been to London very often yet, but he had somehow managed to find a spot to leave his car right in the center of the huge city, so it wasn’t too difficult to find his way to one of the main shopping streets either. 

Robert smiled to himself, he enjoyed just being out on his own, without bodyguards tailing his every step, without people screaming at him all the time. He enjoyed walking through the streets, looking at the shop windows, watching the people. 

After a while, he decided to sit in an adorable, tiny little teahouse that was, apparently, run by a sweet old lady, and enjoy a steaming cup of tea. He sat right by the window that overlooked the busy street and watched the people. Robert’s life was always so fast-paced, he loved just sitting here for a while and letting everything around him just... happen, observing. 

When he was done, he paid and left the old lady a generous tip, wishing her happy holidays.

There was a little record store right across the street from where he had his tea, so he decided to check it out. Jimmy had a huge record collection and he didn’t know exactly what the brunette already owned, so he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to find anything there, but he still wanted to have a look. 

He cringed as he saw his own face glare down at him from a giant poster in the glass door of the record store. Why did they still use that awful picture of them? It was one of the first ones they ever took, when they first formed the band, and Bonzo and Jonesy looked terribly awkward, either terrified or bored as all hell. Robert’s hair was short and way too big for his own head and he looked stoned out of his mind. 

Jimmy, on the other hand, was gorgeous. He was at the center of the photo, his hair was perfect and big, he had a hint of that beautiful, mysterious smile on his pretty face, his eyes were wide and welcoming and his hand was stretched out in an inviting gesture. 

He was absolutely breathtaking, especially in contrast to the silly faces the other band members pulled and Robert sighed. How was he ever going to find a gift special enough for this man?

He opened the door of the record store and stepped inside. He nodded at the bored looking clerk behind the counter and started browsing the aisles. When he realized the store only had the newest stuff, he sighed again and left. Neither of them was particularly fond of the music their peers came up with these days, so he wasn’t going to find anything anyway.

He bumped into a short girl on his way out, almost knocking her over. She made a muffled sound as he crashed into his chest, face first, and almost fell off the stairs that led up to the record store. He quickly reached out, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back up against himself. 

“I’m so sorry, love, didn’t see you there...” He said softly. “Are you alright?”

She looked up at him and tossed some locks of her beautiful, auburn hair out of her face in a quick motion of her head. Her cheeks had already been red from the cold air outside, but Robert was pretty sure he saw them flush further as she looked up at him and realized how close she was to him. 

“Uh... um, yeah, I’m... I’m fine. Sorry...” She stammered as she stared up at him. Robert raised his free hand to take off his sunglasses for a moment, feeling playful. He gave her a little smirk. She was absolutely gorgeous with her big, warm brown eyes, her flushed cheeks, beautiful long hair and if this had happened about a year ago, he would have asked her out immediately, either for a cup of tea or straight to his hotel room or something. However, things were different these days. 

“I’ve got to be a little more careful, can’t just walk around, knocking beautiful little ladies such as yourself off their feet, can I?” He said teasingly. He watched her blink in surprise and blush even further, then her eyes darted to the poster behind him, then back to his face and her eyes widened.

“Oh my god... oh my god...” She whispered and he felt her tense up in his embrace as she realized who was holding her. He chuckled in amusement.

“Robert is fine, but shhh...” He said and put a finger on his own lips in a little gesture, compelling her to secrecy, then winked at her and let go of her waist, put his sunglasses back on and sauntered off, down the street. He laughed as he heard a few more “oh my god”-s behind him. 

That had been fun, although he worried a little about being found out. He wasn’t sure if anybody would believe the girl, though, should she tell them she just ran into Robert fucking Plant from Led Zeppelin at a record store. That wasn’t something that happened, ever, after all. 

He considered himself lucky when the girl had the decency not to follow him. He heard the door of the record store open and close and he smiled to himself as he continued down the busy street. 

He spotted a jewellery store soon enough and entered. It was big and well lit and Robert felt slightly uncomfortable. With the way he was dressed, he looked more like a homeless person rather than someone who should be in a fancy store like this. The two employees gave him suspicious looks and he couldn’t even blame them. 

 

He looked at some of the rings and pendants that were being showcased right next to the entrance. Everything was new and shiny and... utterly boring. 

“Welcome to Goldsmith’s, can I help you, Sir?” One of the clerks came up to him and he smiled at her despite how insecure he felt in his current attire. 

“Well... I’m looking for a present for a special friend of mine... but I’m not quite sure I’m in the right place.” He said softly. The woman looked a little surprised at his slightly posh accent and looked him up and down, from his dirty old boots and the tatty coat he was wearing up to the cap on his head. 

“I... I’m not sure you can afford any of our items, Sir...” She said and Robert frowned. That was just incredibly rude and a part of him wanted to let her know just who he was and that he had enough money to buy every single item in the store as well as the building it was in, but he decided against it. 

“I think you’re right. I’m sorry.” He said curtly and turned around, leaving the store. He didn’t want to attract even more attention, the incident with the girl at the record store had been close enough and he was pretty sure he wouldn’t find anything for Jimmy in here either way. 

He sighed heavily as he walked further down the street. This was way more difficult than it should be and he was getting annoyed quickly. All of these fancy, shiny, big stores just didn’t have anything interesting at all. He wandered around aimlessly for almost half an hour before he made a turn into a dark, sinister looking side alley. 

It reminded him of the alley back home in Birmingham that had that old bookstore where he found Jimmy’s christmas presents. It was lined with interesting little shops, some sold clothes, some books, there was a store that sold spices and dried herbs and somewhere towards the end of the alley, there was an incredibly old looking second hand store. 

Robert was drawn to it immediately, but he wasn’t even sure if it was open. It looked dark when he peered through the small, crowded shop window, but the thought he saw some lit candles somewhere in the back. He jumped a little when his eyes focused on the items in the shop window right in front of him and he was greeted by something that looked like the skull of a bird dangling from a necklace. 

The door opened with a creepy squeak when he tried it and he reluctantly stepped inside, closing it behind him again. 

Robert almost jumped out of his skin when he felt something brush against his leg, but he chuckled in relief when he looked down and was greeted by two big, green eyes. A huge black cat was rubbing against his leg, arching its back and raising its tail in greeting. 

“Well, hello there... are you the owner?” He asked softly as he crouched down to pet the animal. The cat started to purr and closed its eyes as he scratched it behind the ears. “Aww... you’re such a pretty cat... are you boy or a girl? I think you’re a boy...” Robert said as the cat put its paws on his knee to raise himself up and sniff his face. 

“His name is Henry and he seems to think he owns this store, yes.” An amused voice broke the silence and Robert almost jumped out of his skin again. The creepy atmosphere of the place really didn’t help, with all the old stuff, the skulls, the candlelight, and he was a little uneasy. 

He looked up to find the source of the voice and his eyes fell on a short, old man behind an equally old counter. He was wearing a tatty old suit, a beret and thick glasses. He looked to be about a hundred years old, at least. He had kind eyes and an equally kind smile, though and Robert immediately felt more at ease. 

Henry started pushing his massive head into his palm insistently, asking for more pets and scratches that Robert gladly gave him, scratching his chin and rubbing his back. 

“Nice to meet you, Henry.” He chuckled, then smiled at the old man behind the counter. “And you, Mr...?” 

“Fredericks.” The old man answered with a little nod. Robert got up from where he was crouched down and took off his cap and his sunglasses.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude...” He apologized. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he felt an immense amount of respect for the old man. He just had a certain presence about him, an aura, if you will, and Robert felt very, very small and insignificant for some reason. “My name is Robert Plant.” 

“It’s quite alright, son... it is nice to meet you, as well, Mr. Plant.” Mr. Fredericks said with an amused twinkle in his eyes. “What brings you to my lair?” 

Robert looked around in awe. The small store was crammed full with all sorts of things, every nook and cranny was filled with various old things. There were books, old cups and cutlery, vintage furniture, clothes and little display cases with jewellery. Everything was a little dusty. He smiled to himself, Jimmy would absolutely love this place. He’d have to take him here at some point. 

“I... I’m looking for a gift for my friend...” He said slowly, still busy taking everything in. Henry meowed at him and pawed at his shin, making Robert chuckle again. “Aaaww, I didn’t mean to ignore you, I’m sorry!” He said and bent down to pick the big tomcat up. He immediately started purring again and rested his chin in the crook of Robert’s arm. Mr. Fredericks laughed as well. 

“It seems to me that you made a new friend, as well.” He said. “Why don’t you sit with me, have a cuppa with me and tell me about your friend? I’m sure we’ll find the perfect gift for her.” He offered, gesturing towards an old armchair in the corner. Robert gladly accepted, sitting in the armchair and letting the big, black cat settle in his lap. 

“For him, actually...” He said softly as Mr. Fredericks got up. He opened the curtain behind him that separated the front of the store from the back and Robert heard water being run and an old gas stove being lit as the old man started to make tea. 

“Just as well, we’ll find something.” He said kindly as he came back from behind the curtain. “What did you have in mind? What is he like? What kind of relationship are we talking about?” Robert thought about it for a moment as he continued to pet the animal in his lap, relishing the feeling of the soft fur underneath his fingers.

“He... he’s my best friend.” He said. It wasn’t a lie, Jimmy was his best friend as well as his lover, but the old man didn’t need to know that. “It’s his birthday in January and I wanted to find something really special for him. He... has an affinity for everything... dark and mysterious, so I thought...” He trailed off and shrugged, smiling at the store owner sheepishly. 

“You came to the right place, then.” The old man chuckled and disappeared behind the curtain again when the kettle whistled. When he came back, he held two steaming cups of tea and placed one of them in front of Robert, on the little table next to his armchair. 

“Thank you.” The blonde said. Henry got up in his lap to sniff the cup and made a face at the hot steam. He curled up in Robert’s lap again. 

“So, I have some very old books about mysticism that your friend might appreciate...” Mr. Fredericks offered.

“Actually, he’s already getting books for christmas, I was thinking... maybe jewellery. A ring or a pendant or something...” Robert mused. 

“A ring? We wouldn’t want him to get the wrong message, though...” The old man chuckled and Robert laughed in surprise, then shrugged.

“Oh it’s fine... people tell us we’re like an old married couple most of the time, anyway...” He said, taking a sip from his cup. “He wouldn’t mind.”

“Ah, I see... those are the best kinds of friendships, aren’t they?” Mr. Fredericks said and Robert thought he saw a slightly wistful look in his eyes. “Help me out, son, I can’t quite reach it, but there should be a box up on that shelf over there... you’re tall, you should be able to get it...” He then said, pointing at one of the crowded shelves at the other wall. 

Robert gently sat Henry down on the floor and got up to look at it, trying to figure out which one the store owner meant. He spotted a long, dark wooden box at the top of the shelf. He still had to raise himself to the tips of his toes to reach it and coughed at the dust that was raised when he took it down. 

It was a rather large jewellery box that was lined with red velvet on the inside. The top had a glass window. He set it down on the counter in front of Mr. Fredericks, who opened it carefully. The box was filled with all kinds of vintage jewellery, rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets, earrings. 

“These are some of the oldest things in this store. It used to belong to a widow who, unfortunately, was forced to sell it back in the 30s... you know, with the great depression and all that... she had been collecting since the 80s of the previous century. Some of these items are more than 200 years old. She, much like your friend, was very interested in mysticism and magic, so I think there might just be something interesting in here.” 

“Wow...” Robert couldn’t help the sound escaping his mouth as he took in the contents of the box. He had no idea what most of them meant, but he saw a lot of the symbols that he’d also seen in Jimmy’s books. “I... this is amazing. It’s like a treasure... Wait. You’ve had this store since... the 30s?” He asked. The old man gave him a warm smile. 

“Since 1918.” He said proudly. Robert almost wanted to ask him about his age, but he didn’t want to be rude. “Opened it right after the first world war...” He added and Robert felt even smaller. 

“That’s... I don’t even know what to say. You’ve had this all your life, basically...” He said and Mr. Fredericks nodded.

“Yes... I was drafted by the military when I was 15... and by the time the war was over, I was too old for school, so I decided to buy this house with the savings my parents made for me.” He explained. “Now, do you see anything you like, my boy?” He directed Robert’s attention back at the box between them. 

“I... there’s so much to look at...” Robert chuckled. “I was thinking... it should be silver... or white gold... he’s got black hair and green eyes.” The old man gave him a strange look, then smiled and reached into the box. He pulled out a thick silver necklace that looked like a snake devouring its own tail. Its eye was made of a green gem, probably emerald, Robert thought. It was beautiful, but he wasn’t quite sure it was what he wanted for Jimmy. 

“How about this?” The old man prompted. 

“It’s... don’t get me wrong, it’s gorgeous but... it’s a little... much. I was thinking... something a little more subtle.” He said. He gasped as he spotted something underneath another necklace. It was small silver pendant that was made up of the astrological symbols of capricorn, scorpio and cancer. 

“Ah, did you find something?” Mr. Fredericks asked and Robert nodded.

“This is perfect... absolutely perfect...” He whispered and gingerly took the little pendant, putting it on his palm to show the store owner. “This is... the exact constellation... capricorn, scorpio rising, cancer moon... what are the odds?” He explained. The old man gave him a pleased smile. 

“Maybe it was just waiting here, for you to find it for him.” He said. Robert smiled back at him, then looked back down at the pendant. It wasn’t much, it was very simple, just the symbols in silver, no stones, nothing fancy, but it was perfect. 

“Yes... maybe. I think I found what I was looking for.” Robert said, reaching for his wallet in the pocket of his coat. The old man shook his head.

“It’s alright, son, just take it.” He said gently. Robert blinked at him in surprise. “You remind me a little of myself, back in the day. I would spend days or weeks mulling over what to get my special lady until I found the perfect gift for her... much like you with your... friend.” He said, his kind eyes twinkling. Robert felt his cheeks heat up as he blushed.

“I... I don’t...” He stammered and Mr. Fredericks laughed. 

“It’s alright, my boy, don’t you worry.” He said and patted Robert’s arm. “Take it. Take it home to your love and make him smile.” Robert stared at him for a moment in bewilderment, then smiled back at him widely.

“I... thank you. Thank you so much.” He whispered. He didn’t even mean the pendant, but the warmth and the acceptance the old man showed him in a world where they still had to hide their love from everyone. It made him feel like in the end, everything was going to be alright. He couldn’t help but feel a little bad, though, as he looked at the small, old man in his old, worn down clothes and the old, small store. “Please, let me give you something, though, I can’t just...” He trailed off. 

“Well, I’m sure Henry wouldn’t say no to a little donation. He has very expensive tastes when it comes to food...” The old man admitted, looking a tad bit uncomfortable. Robert smiled as he pocketed the pendant and took out his wallet. He went over to where the cat was lounging on an armchair and patted his head gently.

“It was very nice to make your acquaintance, Sir Henry...” He said with a smile as he put a wad of cash under the cat’s paw, then turned back to the counter. “... and yours, Mr. Fredericks. I’m sure we’ll meet again, I’d love to show your store to Jimmy...”

“I’d be honored to meet him.” He said.

“Goodbye... and thank you, again.” Robert said as he put his disguise back on. The old man nodded as Robert turned around and left the store with a big smile on his face. He was glad he’d even stumbled upon it and found the perfect gift as well. 

Just when he made to go back to his car, he noticed another store in the dark little alley that caught his attention. It was a little music store that sold all kinds of instruments and in the shop window, Robert spotted a ‘59 Fender telecaster, just like the one Jimmy used to have that sadly had been destroyed by a ‘friend’ of his who thought he’d do him a favour by removing the dragon that Jimmy had painted on it. The paint thinner he’d used had seeped through the wood and destroyed the wiring inside the guitar, rendering it useless. Robert had rarely seen Jimmy so upset. He had an idea and quickly entered the other store. 

A balding, middle aged man greeted him with a grunt and a curt nod.

“Good afternoon.” Robert said softly and the man glared at him. “I... uh, I was wondering, that guitar in your shop window... the old telecaster... is it for sale?”

“Why the bloody hell would I put it in the window if it wasn’t?” The man snapped and Robert sighed, taken aback by the man’s brashness, maybe even more so compared to Mr. Fredericks. 

“Well, how much is it?” He said simply. “I’d like to buy it.” Usually, he would have given the man a piece of his mind, he had a way with words after all, but he didn’t want to risk being thrown out of the store, he really wanted that guitar. 

He paid for the guitar as well as a large, metal case for it and left the store with the unpleasant man as quickly as possible. Before he went back to his car, he stopped by a department store on Oxford Street to buy some acrylic paints, then drove back to Jimmy’s place in Pangbourne. He left the guitar and the paints in his car so his boyfriend wouldn’t see them. 

Robert had no idea how to paint, unlike Jimmy, who even went to art school. He desperately wanted to make the brunette happy, though, so he practised on paper while Jimmy wasn’t at home or when he locked himself in his studio to practice his guitar playing. Jimmy practised several hours a day, so Robert always had some time to get his painting skills up to par, or at least to where he felt comfortable painting the guitar. He knew it wouldn’t look the same and that it wasn’t the same guitar, but maybe, just maybe Jimmy would appreciate it anyway. 

He’d seen the guitar often enough in Led Zeppelin’s earliest days so remember the paint job, but he was happy nonetheless when he found an old magazine with a picture from a Yardbirds performance that showed off the guitar in all its... glory. He took his time cleaning the old guitar as carefully as possible. He tried to copy it as well as he possibly could, but he just wasn’t an artist like Jimmy, so it ended up looking a little more blotchy and rough, but he didn’t really mind. He set it up to dry and smiled to himself, he couldn’t wait for Jimmy’s birthday.

When the day finally came, Robert was up at the crack of dawn which, with it being January, wasn’t even all that early, so he felt that it was ok to wake his boyfriend up with gentle little kisses peppered all over his face. Usually, Jimmy would try to murder him for waking him up, but today, a little smile spread over his pretty features when he slowly woke up.

“Good morning, baby... happy birthday!” Robert whispered, trying not to sound too excited. He knew Jimmy needed a moment or two to wake up. 

“Morning...” The other man said sleepily. His eyes were still closed, so Robert leaned in to press a gentle kiss to each eyelid. Jimmy’s smile widened and he slowly opened his eyes, blinking at his boyfriend. “Hey...” He said and reached out to touch Robert’s face, gently caressing his cheek.

“Hey.” Robert answered with a smile. “Did you sleep well, birthday boy?” He asked.

“I did, until you woke me up...” Jimmy said, but Robert could tell he wasn’t mad at him. The brunette snuggled closer, rubbing his cheek against Robert’s chest and closing his eyes again. Robert chuckled and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

“Hmm, if you get up, I’ve got something for you.” He said, caressing the other man’s back gently. 

“But... you’re so warm... and this is so nice...” Jimmy said, his voice muffled every so slightly by the fabric of Robert’s shirt. It occurred to Robert that if he tried to tell people just how much Jimmy enjoyed cuddling and being held, they wouldn’t believe him. 

“I promise I’ll hold you and cuddle you all day if you let me give you your presents.” He cooed, caressing the thick mop of black hair resting on his chest. Reluctantly, Jimmy let go of him and nodded.

“Presents?” He asked. “As in, more than one?” He was still sleepy and Robert thought that was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen with his messy hair and the oversized shirt he slept in. He nodded and grinned, turning around to reach inside the drawer of the bedside table. He’d put the little box with the pendant in it there last evening, so he could give it to Jimmy first thing in the morning. 

When he turned back around, Jimmy was sitting up on the bed, looking at him curiously, so he sat up as well.

“Happy birthday, my love.” He said as he put the box into Jimmy’s hands.

“I... thank you...” Jimmy said, looking at the little box for a moment, then up at Robert’s face. 

“Well...? Go on, open it!” The blonde prompted. The guitarist opened the box and stared at the contents in silence. Robert got increasingly nervous with each seconds of silence, wriggling on the bed uncomfortably. “Jimmy...?” 

“You... remembered.” The brunette breathed softly, still staring at the box in his hands, seemingly in awe. “You really... care.” He added and Robert frowned.

“Baby, of course I care, I...” He stopped when Jimmy flung himself into his arms again. He quickly wrapped his arms around the skinnier man and smiled. “Of course I care, Jimmy... you taught me all about this stuff and I know how much it means to you. I love you.” 

“I love you, too... thank you... so much. Where did you even find this...?” Jimmy asked. “Did you have it made...? No, it looks old...” He added, taking the pendant out of the box and looking at it closely. 

“I found it at a wonderful little second hand store in London.” He said and started to tell Jimmy everything about Mr. Fredericks, Henry and the little store in the dark alley. 

“That is beautiful... I’d love to go there one day and meet them.” Jimmy smiled at him happily. 

“Let me put it on you?” Robert asked, gently taking the pendant from his boyfriend. He’d also bought a thin, long silver necklace to put it on so Jimmy could wear it underneath his shirt. He made Jimmy turn around so he could put the necklace on. Jimmy picked the pendant up from where it was resting on his chest and looked at it again, smiling.

“Thank you, Robert. I love it.” He said and hugged the blonde again. 

“Come on, there’s more.” Robert said excitedly and got off the bed, pulling Jimmy along. He lead him to the living room where he’d set up the metal case with the guitar the night before. He hadn’t bothered wrapping it, the case looked nothing like a guitar case anyway, more like suitcase, so he’d just put a red ribbon around it. 

Jimmy glanced at him, then at the metal case before slowly sitting down on the floor next to it. He gingerly pulled at the end of the ribbon to untie the bow, letting it drop to the floor, then he opened the metal clasps at the side and slowly opened it. 

Robert moved to sit next to him and when he turned his head to look at Jimmy, he saw that he had tears in his eyes as he gazed into the case. Robert knew that that guitar had meant the world to Jimmy, but his reaction still surprised him. 

Jimmy slowly turned towards him and sank into his arms again, melting against him. He didn’t say anything, so the blonde kept quiet as well, just holding the smaller man close.

“I don’t even know what to say, Robert...” He whispered a while later. “This is... the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“I remember how awful you felt when it was destroyed... how angry and sad you were... I mean, I know it’s not the same guitar, it doesn’t have the same meaning, but...” He was silenced by a gentle kiss.

“It means so much more, Robert. That guitar was a gift from Jeff, I painted it myself and it was the first guitar I ever used in a band, but this... this means the world to me, because... it’s from you. You made this for me, to make me happy. It means everything.” He whispered. Robert smiled widely and hugged his boyfriend tightly. 

“I’m sorry the paint job isn’t as... nice and intricate as yours was...” He said then, slightly embarrassed. Jimmy laughed.

“No, don’t say that, it’s perfect... I love it.” He said and turned around to pick up the guitar. He gently touched the body with the psychedelic painting, smiling happily to himself. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I don’t even know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so, so grateful.” 

“Oh Jimmy...” Robert sighed and pulled him into his arms again. The brunette gently plucked a few strings of the guitar, leaning against Robert’s chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anybody want Jimmy to meet Mr. Fredericks and Henry? :3

**Author's Note:**

> D'aawwwww.... :)


End file.
